


Twas the night before Christmas

by sunnysideup



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Christmas Fluff, Fluff, M/M, Ziam Fluff, just fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-24
Updated: 2019-12-24
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:27:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,015
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21925963
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunnysideup/pseuds/sunnysideup
Summary: “Well, okay, before you say it yourself I know it sounds crazy, s’just I’m sure that the branches of the Christmas tree moved on their own before.”Or the time Zayn convinces himself they're about to be devoured by the rats from those terrible horror books he shouldn't have read when he was a kid on Christmas Eve.Except maybe that's not what happens.
Relationships: Zayn Malik/Liam Payne
Comments: 5
Kudos: 35





	Twas the night before Christmas

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to write something Christmassy but had no idea what to write then I saw this prompt earlier tonight about the Christmas tree which I've adapted slightly and here I am. 
> 
> Merry Christmas xx

Twas the night before Christmas, twas 11.12 pm when the descent into madness that Zayn’s currently experiencing started that is. 

All he did was nip to the loo during the commercial break of yet another repeat of the Inbetweeners film, funny enough to bring belly laughs, familiar enough to disappear and check on the turkey that he put in earlier tonight to prepare ahead of tomorrow from time to time and know exactly where the film was each time he came back in the room.

This time though it had been a call of nature and he was only gone two minutes.

It’s in the corner of his eye the tree, bedecked with red and gold tinsel and lots of randomly coloured baubles they ‘borrowed’ from various family members given it's their first Christmas in their first home together and so the only requirement was sparkly stuff and sod it to any colour scheme and at first, he thinks maybe his eye is the one that’s twitching and tired and seeing movements that aren’t there.

He focuses on the screen instead, right arm flung over Liam’s shoulder, his fingertips rubbing on Liam’s upper arm while Liam settles back into him in their usual positions on the settee. 

Then it happens again and he rubs his eyes with his free hand then shakes his head, trying to bid away the memories of those cheesy horror books his mum and dad used to read and Zayn secretly read with a torch under the duvet late at night and then would struggle to sleep cause killer rats? no thanks. 

“Is this a new brand we’re trying tonight babe?” He asks Liam pointing in the direction of the offending wine glasses.

“Hmm?” Liam responds for his part sounding a bit distracted. 

“The wine, Li, is it a new brand, think am seeing things.”

“Like what?” 

“Well, okay, before you say it yourself I know it sounds crazy, s’just I’m sure that the branches on the Christmas tree moved on their own before.” 

Zayn expects Liam to laugh, to turn around and slap his chest, roll his eyes and make some sarky comment about getting old or something like that and he’s ready for it, it's their old routine, the back and forth even though they’re neither of them old enough to be in an ‘old routine’. 

It’s just them. Thick as thieves since they were thirteen and married as fuck without the actual signing of the register until 6 months ago. 

So it’s tiny, the movement Liam makes, the tension that appears in his body and then disappears just as quickly but still Zayn notices.

“Liam?” 

Quick as a flash, normal service is resumed and Liam does as Liam should’ve done without the little tense moment but with added, "Shhh, we’re missing the good bit,” before he leans over to the coffee table that’s crafted out of boxes for now and increases the volume to a level not even Zayn’s grandparents would want it to be at.

“The end Li, it’s the end of the film and since when did you have the hearing of a ninety-five-year old?”

"The best bit the end it’s always been the best bit.”

Zayn opens his mouth to argue but then it happens again and not just the movement but the sound that comes with it that breaks through cause it’s totally different from the sound of 4 lads from down south being idiots abroad. 

And back like a flash is the tension in Liam’s body.

“Liam James Payne, have you brought us a fucking gremlin or something, am I gonna have to make sure it doesn’t get fed after midnight or something or have we got rats and you’ve been too scared to tell me and that’s why you were fretting about me leaving any food out tonight?”

There’s a scratching sound and then a mild thumping too and Liam’s jumping up from the settee before Zayn can blink.

Pacing up and down but with not so furtive glances to whatever the monster or killer rat is that’s hidden under the tree and is probably about to come out and have it’s own early Christmas dinner (of them) on Christmas Eve.

Which is a right pain in the arse given how lovely the turkey’s smelling. 

“I knew it was a terrible idea but oh no, Louis couldn’t look after it tonight, stupid birthday on stupid Christmas Eve, ‘it’s dead small Payno, it’ll go to sleep, stop worrying and no Nialler can’t look after it either cause he’s coming out with us cause unlike you two oldies, he’s still up for a laugh’.”

Liam huffs then, shoulders slumping and it occurs to Zayn to applaud him on an absolutely spot-on imitation of Tommo but he’s too curious and he reaches forward for the remote control and turns the mute button on.

“Louis couldn’t look after what, Liam?”

Liam forehead creases as he frowns and then he glances at the clock on the mantelpiece and mutters.

“Ah it’s close enough I suppose.” then he reaches down to the floor to pick up one of the presents, one of the larger presents that's not completely covered, seems to have a couple of holes in it, one of the newer presents actually cause he hadn’t noticed this one before well, now. 

“I know it’s too soon, I know it’s a crazy responsibility but stupid adverts on the TV and stupid websites that I look at sometimes when I’m waiting for you to get home when you’ve been at an exhibition and well, we don’t want kids yet and I work from home now mostly and I dunno, I just couldn’t resist and also you need a distraction sometimes for when you get too in your head when the block hits you, maybe this'll help, maybe he'll help.”

“Resist what? Who's 'he?' ” 

“Really, you’ve no idea?” Liam says, looking genuinely surprised.

The sound is a cross between a squeak and a bark and it’s so bloody endearing that Zayn can’t even bring himself to be angry at the killer whatever it is. Liam seems resigned enough as he leans down and tears away the bits of wrapping paper that covers parts but not all of the gift and then opens a box that has holes in it and where something furry with claws is poking through then pulls something upwards and out of the box, murmuring gently.

“It’s okay baby, you’re going to meet your other new dad now.”

It’s gold and white with flecks of brown on the edge of its ears, it’s wriggling in Liam’s hands and there’s a little tiny tail that wags from side to side. 

Zayn would say it’s the most beautiful thing in the world but then the person holding it most definitely is especially now, the look of concentration on Liam’s face, the tenderness and the smile as he murmurs softly then looks up at Zayn, pulls a face and says quietly.

“Merry Christmas from me and my little mate here Zaynie.”

The little mate who looks beautiful and totally unthreatening aside from probably towards the turkey it’ll probably devour if Zayn gives it half a chance. 

“Is it a him or a her?”

“A him, he’s 5 months old, left behind when his family emigrated, he’s a Shih Tzu/Yorkshire terrier cross also known as a Shorkie Tzu.”

“Which is the last time we’re ever going to refer to him as one of them, when did you get him?”

“Saw him a month ago, the rehoming centre came around 2 weekends ago when Lou dragged you out for a pint.”

“Sneaky fuckers,” Zayn says without any heat in his words, grinning as he reaches his hands out and Liam gently passes the puppy over.

“So you’re the little so and so who made me think your other daddy was spiking me drink or I was losing me marbles, thought you were a rat or a gremlin," The not so rat and gremlin chooses that moment to sniff and then lick Zayn's fingers, his tail whipping back and forth and then as Zayn leans back, he climbs up him, till he’s eventually nibbling on the neck of Zayn’s t-shirt, "Nah, definitely not a rat or a gremlin."

“Sorry if I scared you, rubbish at surprises, me.” Liam says, sitting down next to Zayn, lowering his hand onto stroke the pup’s back. 

“I dunno about that Li, all I expected from you was a kiss in the morning and your best roasties and Yorkshire puddings tomorrow, definitely didn't expect another type of Yorkshire something."

"All the best things come from Yorkshire and partly Tibet, in this little so and so's case." Liam smiles.

Zayn's about to agree cause well, yeah, it's undeniable that the best things come in Yorkshire packages, and okay maybe Wolverhampton in one family's case but then the country that doesn't naturally go with the county of Yorkshire pops up in his mind more/

"Tibet?"

"Well, Walthamstow actually but his great great great great great great to infinity number of greats grandad three hundred times removed was probably from Tibet."

Zayn rubs the tiny head of this new little thing into his life, "You've come a long way only to end up in a box mate, haven't you but don't worry, do you like turkey?"

As if to prove he does and to prove he's ready for some food, the pup transfers his attention from Zayn's t-shirt to Zayn's finger and Zayn forgot how sharp small dogs teeth are. 

"So, he can stay then?"

"What do you reckon mate, can you stay? Will your daft dad Liam ever stop worrying when I'm already head over heels in love with you and your little gremlin ways and them sharp teeth, you little sod." Zayn lifts up his properly nibbled/chewed/bitten finger to his mouth and then reaches the same hand across to the back of Liam's neck and says, "Well, what do you think babe?"

Liam grins.

"He is cute though, right?"

"He's alright, I'm gonna have a hell of a time aren't I, battle of the puppy eyes in this place whenever we quarrel or he chews a bauble or another one of my fingers off."

As if to illustrate it, both pairs of eyes in Zayn's proximity choose that moment to attack him fully and he's almost defenceless to stop the endeared grin from appearing but he manages to disguise it a little he thinks.

"So what do we call him, he's my pressie to you so your choice," 

Zayn holds up the puppy as though he's Simba instead of this adorable ball of fluff that will threaten all Zayn's work productivity and ensure that Zayn's next art exhibition will likely be all puppy eyes and fluffy tails rather than the abstract art that his agent and the gallery are familiar with. 

"Well, he's a terror for me fingers and he's got eyes the size of him so in honour of me first thought, 'ello Gizmo, my little gremlin shorkie tzu buddy."

The tail wags and the teeth are there again as if to signal Gizmo's full agreement but Zayn's too lost in the fact that Liam looks so bloody happy right now while also suddenly thinking of his own surprise for Liam that'll be coming down the motorway in the morning and oh, bloody hell, he wonders how Liam and Gizmo'll react to the bundle of joy and barks that's no doubt wagging his own tail tonight at Zayn's parents house. 

Typical them, and typical them too that it'll go like clockwork, aside from the unfair abundance of puppy eyes following Zayn wherever he'll go that is.

Nice thought to bring Christmas Day in he thinks as the clock chimes on the mantelpiece and Liam scoots closer to nestle into Zayn and murmurs as Gizmo settles off to sleep on Zayn's chest, exhausted by his own excitement.

"Merry Christmas Zayn."

"Merry Christmas, Jaan."

And it was, for Gizmo, his new mate Barney and all. 

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you liked it, thanks for reading x


End file.
